There is something about walking through the gates of Universal Studios Florida during Halloween Horror Nights that immediately tells you this is not a regular theme park night.
The fog is rolling in. Someone is probably waiting around a corner to scare you. And if you are anything like me, you are simultaneously excited, terrified and wondering why you willingly signed up for this.
This year, Halloween Horror Nights celebrates its 35th anniversary, and Universal Orlando Resort has gone big with an entirely new collection of 10 haunted houses, scare zones, live entertainment and plenty of wonderfully weird food and drinks.
Sebastian and I have experienced HHN together before, but one of the things I love about the event is that every year feels different. For 2026, Universal Studios Florida has transformed into the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, bringing back two legendary Halloween Horror Nights icons, Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow.
Their rivalry takes center stage in Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, which dives into the history between the two characters before sending guests into their bizarre Oddverse.
But some of the biggest draws this year come directly from movies, television and music.
Netflix fans can enter Stranger Things 5, inspired by the fifth and final season of the series. Hawkins is once again in very serious trouble, and guests encounter Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and, of course, Vecna.
One of the most visually intriguing additions is Sinners, which transports guests to 1930s Mississippi and the Smokestack Twins’ juke joint. What begins with music and celebration quickly becomes something much darker when vampires arrive. The combination of period details, music and horror makes this one feel especially cinematic.
Then there is Hellraiser and yes, Pinhead is waiting.
Based on the original Hellraiser trilogy, the house takes guests through the Lament Configuration and into the terrifying world of the Cenobites. It is dark, unsettling and exactly the kind of experience longtime horror fans come to HHN hoping to find.
Evil Dead Burn brings another familiar horror universe to life, unleashing Deadites inside a family home after the Book of the Dead is reopened.
And perhaps the most unexpected experience of the night is Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness. The house turns Ozzy’s music and unmistakable imagery into a full-fledged horror experience, taking guests through a twisted world inspired by his career and albums. There is even a trip aboard the “Crazy Train,” because really, how could there not be?
The scares also spill into the streets.
This year’s scare zones include the central Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Sideshow of Decay, FORTNITEMARES and Downtown Clowntown, while Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir combines music and death-defying stunts in a vampire-filled world.
For Stranger Things fans, there is another reason to stay after dark. Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins takes over the lagoon with projections, music and memorable moments spanning the series.
And then there is the food.
HHN has become almost as much about what you can eat and drink as what can scare you. This year’s menus take inspiration from Stranger Things, Sinners, Hellraiser, Ozzy and Evil Dead Burn, making wandering around and discovering the seasonal creations part of the experience.
After 35 years, Halloween Horror Nights still understands exactly what makes the event special: it is not simply about walking through haunted houses.
It is about stepping inside the stories. And for one night, willingly becoming part of the nightmare.
